Tourism: Sardinia conquers foreign tourists, spending boom in 2023

Foreign travellers are confirmed as essential for the growth of tourism in Sardinia. In the “safe” of the Sardinian hospitality and leisure system, thanks to these presences, 1 billion and 667 million euros entered in 2023, an increase of 432 million euros (+35%, the second increase in Italy) compared to 2022 when visitors from beyond the Alps brought 1 billion and 235 million euros to the Island. The expenditure of foreigners who visited our region grew by 3.2% compared to 2022.

This is, in extreme synthesis, what emerges from the dossier of the Research Office of Confartigianato Imprese Sardegna, entitled “Towards summer 2024”, which reworked the Istat numbers of the past tourist season.

“With these data we can say that last year was the best ever in terms of the arrival of foreigners and we are certain that in 2024 we will reach the absolute spending record – comments Giacomo Meloni, President of Confartigianato Imprese Sardegna – after three very long years, foreign tourism has finally returned to shine by recovering arrivals, presences and spending capacity”.

In fact, 48% of tourist presences in Sardinia are represented by foreigners. The Island is ranked 9th in Italy in a national ranking that sees the P.A. of Bolzano in the lead with 70.5%, followed by Veneto with 69.3% and Lazio with 63.7%, against a national average of 52.4%.

In the past year, 810 million were spent by foreigners on accommodation, 353 on catering, 200 on shopping, 152 on passenger transport and 150 on other services.

Forecasts for 2024 speak of a further growth of 9 million over the previous year, which should bring the total to 1 billion and 676 million euros, with an impact on the regional GDP of 4.46%. The analysis also says that in 2021 813 million euros entered, in 2020 the millions were 590 while in 2019 1 billion and 108 million arrived. In total, foreign tourism brings almost 52 billion euros to Italy.